Commentary
On Dec. 11, 2001, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This would have been impossible without American support.
In retrospect, it was one of the worst decisions we ever made.
To be clear, the United States supported China’s membership in the WTO and other international organizations based on its supposed commitment to market reform and compliance with the rules, even if this rise came at the expense of Western democracy, security, and common sense. We all too often turned a blind eye and shied away from talking directly about the Chinese regime’s lack of transparency, reciprocity, and environmental standards; its human rights abuses and use of slave labor; and its countless violations of prior agreements and international law. Frankly, we thought (and hoped) communist China would become a market-driven and ultimately a more democratic country….